Source: Aboutmyplanet.comBy VeganVerveSpecies across the globe are facing pressures at the greatest level than ever before. Thousands of species are at risk of extinction from causes spanning global warming, deforestation, human encroachment and countless others. Another serious contributor to species decline is illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife parts. This was discussed at great length at the recent meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES. 175 nations belong to this organization, which recently met to discuss the future of numerous species and whether trade in particular species will be regulated or banned. A major outcome of the meeting was the impact the internet is having on species worldwide. According to CITES, the internet is contributing greatly to illegal wildlife trade due to making it more widespread and easier to accomplish. A plethora of species have been subject to internet trading, including red and pink coral, Kaiser’s spotted newt, tiger bones and products, ivory and living species from lions to monkeys. Paul Todd, who works for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, stated: “The Internet is becoming the dominant factor overall in the global trade in protected species. There will come a time when country to country trade of large shipments between big buyers and big sellers in different countries is a thing of the past.” The International Fund for Animal Welfare has performed numerous examinations of online trade of species worldwide. They concluded that the most popular location for such trade is in the United States, however, it is also popular in China, Russia, Australia and Europe. Listings for particular species, products and parts are found in classified ads, auction sites and even chat rooms. The kind of products available that have been discovered include tiger-bone wine, pelts from an array of species such as polar bears and leopards, and live lion cubs, ocelots and capuchin monkeys. Ivory is one of the largest sellers worldwide.

Source: Edmontonsun.comBy Kate Schwass-BueckertSnakes and exotic pets dominated headlines in 2013, particularly in August after two young brothers died when an African rock python escaped its enclosure and suffocated them as they slept. Bry Loyst, curator of the Indian River Reptile Zoo near Peterborough, Ont., said at the time the snake must have been confused when it encountered four-year-old Noah Barthe and his brother Connor, 6. The two boys had been at a petting zoo earlier in the day, and may have still smelled like the animals, which is likely why the snake decided to constrict the two boys while they slept. "Potentially dangerous animals of any kind — whether it be tigers, lions, bears, cobras, rattlesnakes, large pythons — shouldn't be kept in a private residence," Loyst said. "This was an accident waiting to happen." Since then, authorities have been removing illegal or mistreated snakes, alligators and other exotic animals from homes across the country, and the federal government, provincial leaders and municipalities are all looking at new regulations to protect animals and keep residents safe. Ontario has asked for at least 36 separate studies looking into the issue, while in December, the New Brunswick government passed a motion by the Opposition Liberals calling for a complete review of the province's Fish and Wildlife Act, which oversees exotic animals. "Other jurisdictions are looking at New Brunswick for leadership on this file," Liberal MLA Donald Arseneault said in a statement about the motion he proposed. "This file has no politics, it is just the right thing to do." --- --- --TIMELINEMore....

Source: Dailymail.co.ukBy Lorraine FisherOutside, a frost has hardened the suburban back lawn to a square of brittle mud and concrete.

From inside a cage in the garden, two little monkeys survey this sorry landscape with bored, expressionless, yet disturbingly human eyes.

The balmy, verdant jungles of their native South America are a very long way away.

This is their life, shut outside a house in the West Midlands 24 hours a day. There’s nothing for these marmosets — typically sociable, playful, curious and intelligent animals — to do, not even a toy to play with.

Inside the house in Walsall, the monkey couple’s four-month-old son is faring a little better. At least he is kept in the warm.

He spends his days in the living room, while his owners, Keith and Sue Watkins, ‘humanise’ him to prepare him for sale.

Albert — as they’ve called him — is at least allowed out occasionally and has a few plastic toys to play with.

Meals also punctuate the boredom: he is usually given fruit, but sometimes gets some chips to nibble on and a bottle of Fruit Shoot for a ‘treat’.

It’s quite a departure from a marmoset’s diet in the wild, where they eat plant gums, fruit, flowers, insects and other small animals — even snails or lizards.

Animals such as Albert are among thousands of wild monkeys being bought and sold in Britain as part of a growing trend for keeping them as pets.

Surprisingly, the breeding and selling of small monkeys such as marmosets, tamarins and squirrel monkeys is legal in Britain. You don’t even need a licence.

Because of a lack of regulation, it’s not known how many monkeys are kept as pets in the UK. More....

Source: Ipsnews.netBy Cam McGrathAt a small pet shop in an upscale Cairo neighbourhood, puppies, kittens and sickly-looking parakeets occupy the cages behind the storefront window. But if you want more exciting and exotic animals – such as crocodiles or lion cubs – just ask behind the counter. Trade in wild animals is banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), of which Egypt is a signatory. But decades of ineffective border controls and police indifference have made the country a major hub for the trafficking of wildlife. Conservationists suspect that criminal gangs have expanded their networks and stepped up shipments of protected and endangered species under cover of the political turmoil that has engulfed the region since the start of the Arab Spring. “Since the revolution in 2011, Egypt has fewer resources for enforcement, and traffickers have recognised this,” an environment ministry official told IPS. “The country is facing many serious political and economic problems, and checking shipments for wildlife is not a priority.”Cairo is less a destination than a transit point for animals trafficked from Africa to markets in Asia and the Arab Gulf states. Rare and endangered animals are concealed in air and sea shipments, or smuggled overland through the porous borders of Libya and Sudan. In recent years, authorities have seized satchels full of dying tortoises, rare birds stuffed into toilet paper rolls with their beaks tied shut, and a pair of dolphins floundering in a murky swimming pool. Foreign customs officers have also discovered baby chimpanzees drugged with cough syrup and crammed into crates shipped from Egypt. Many of the trafficked animals are kept in rented apartments in Cairo and Alexandria that act as showrooms for prospective buyers. Others fill the overcrowded and dirty cages of disreputable pet shops, or end up in the country’s growing number of private zoos. One licensed pet store in Cairo’s Zamalek district had its front end geared for the pampered pets of the district’s affluent residents, with imported pet foods, rhinestone studded dog collars, and colourful catnip toys. Further back the shop catered to more exotic tastes, with pens of juvenile crocodiles, caged fennec foxes, and a full-grown vulture that was eventually sold to a local businessman for 1,200 dollars. The pet store was shuttered last year after municipal authorities acted on residents’ complaints. More....

Source: Independent.co.ukBy Tom BawdenThe UK Government has vowed to clamp down on the soaring trade in illegal wildlife products such as rhino horn and elephant ivory, pledging £10m to fight a crime offering “low risk and high rewards”.

Illicit trade in wildlife has exploded into a $19bn (£11.6bn) global criminal enterprise, driven by newly-rich Asian consumers who aspire to a luxury lifestyle through status symbols such as ivory goods, as well as exotic pets, such as monkeys, and meats, such as anteater.

The vacuum of demand has been filled by organised criminals who can make a fortune with relatively little risk of conviction and who are threatening government stability and national security in some of the worst-hit areas in Africa, pressure groups say.

A combination of high prices, weak laws, poor enforcement and relatively short sentences, has made poaching far more attractive to criminals, they say.

The Government clampdown will see the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) join forces for the first time.

Owen Paterson, the Environment Secretary, said: “Poaching devastates livelihoods and sustainable communities as well as endangering the existence of these wonderful animals. We must work together with other countries to stamp it out by stopping demand, improving enforcement and by helping communities develop sustainable economic activity.”

International Development Secretary Justine Greening said: “By working with Defra to tackle the illegal wildlife trade we are helping to improve the economic opportunities of the poorest people whose livelihoods depend on natural resources. This fund will also help stop corruption fuelled by the illegal trade.”

Funding will be awarded to support action in developing countries that reduces the “opportunity and incentive” to poach. It will also be used to provide training and equipment to help law enforcement. Some of the budget will fund a campaign to raise awareness of the impact of wildlife crime, which the World Wide Fund for Nature says appears to fund terrorist cells in unstable African countries, with the criminals often using the same networks as other illegal trades, such as drug trafficking.

The £10m fund is being made available as David Cameron prepares to host in London the highest-level global summit to date on combating illegal wildlife trade. The summit in February aims to produce an unprecedented political commitment and an action plan.

Source: Statesman.comBy Alex DropkinEvery morning, Sophia eats a handful of grapes and perks up. She stretches her legs and, on good days, takes a lap or two around the artificial forest in her enclosure.Sophia is a two-toed sloth, and the grapes — met with a wet, black nose and long tongue — amount to dessert. Her staples are sweet potatoes, vegetables and monkey chow.The two-toed sloth is endemic to Central and South America. Sophia has lived at Zoo Keeper Exotic Pets in North Austin for 12 years, since being rescued from an owner who had lost interest in her. Sophia has become both a public attraction and an educational tool of sorts, serving as a reminder of the consequences of Texas’ lax — some say absent — regulation of the exotic pet trade.Texas is one of 21 states with no restrictions on private ownership of exotic animals, according to Born Free USA, a national animal advocacy group. The Texas Department of State Health Services oversees statutes on the definition and handling of dangerous animals, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department manages nonnative species in relation to their impact on native plants and animals, but the onus of regulation is left to cities and counties.“That just shows that in Texas, it’s considered not important enough for it to even be handled by the state,” said Lynn Cuny, founder and president of Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation in Kendalia, “and that’s a real tragedy.”Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation receives a dozen or more calls a year to rescue primates, parrots, nonnative reptiles and larger animals from overwhelmed owners. Texas is home to more exotic animals than any other state, according to the Humane Society.“People love the whole idea of having (an animal) in their midst who is novel, who is very unique and who is going to make them look like they’re special,” Cuny said. “It’s a very kind of sick relationship.”Sophia is a star inside the Zoo Keeper store, at the corner of Burnet Road and U.S. 183. It sells exotic birds, snakes, turtles, insects, mammals and other unusual critters. Owner Daniel Keeper said he gets at least one customer asking to buy the sloth every day. But Sophia isn’t for sale. More....

Source: Gainesville.comBy Michael Markarian It’s been big news that non-native boa constrictors, Burmese pythons and African rock pythons are living and breeding in the wild and subsequently wreaking havoc on the ecosystem, frightening citizens and killing pets in residential neighborhoods. The question isn’t if these dangerous predators are going to colonize other areas, but when and where they are going to become established. Scientists confirmed last year that non-native boa constrictors are now breeding in Puerto Rico and spreading across the island. Boa constrictors have established more invasive populations than any other species of constrictor snake. In addition to parts of Florida and Puerto Rico, boas are also established in Cozumel and Aruba where they consume an estimated 17,000 birds annually. Earlier this year, two boa constrictors were found loose on public property in Hawaii, another state where the snakes can survive.These Boa constrictor invasions may have been triggered when owners who could no longer care for their pet snakes dumped them into the wild. Too often people purchase pet snakes when the animals are young and manageable, but there are very few options for placement once they grow too dangerous to handle. In South Florida, the non-native snake invasion caused by irresponsible pet owners may have been exacerbated when a hurricane destroyed a reptile dealer’s facility, setting captive snakes loose where they now prey on native wildlife, including endangered species.“Once non-native snakes become established across a large area, especially in densely forested areas, they become much more difficult to find and almost impossible to eradicate,” U.S. Geological Survey scientist Bob Reed told CBS News for its story about the Puerto Rican boa constrictor invasion. In fact, not a single invasive reptile species has ever been eradicated through management efforts and taxpayers will continue to spend millions of dollars to try and control the snakes already thriving in Florida’s environment.With clutch sizes of up to 124 eggs, these snakes reproduce rapidly. The release or escape of a single pregnant python in a hospitable habitat could result in colonization in a new area. The more humane and fiscally responsible approach is to prevent the problem in the first place. In 2010, Florida passed a law making it illegal to breed, sell or keep most large constrictor snakes as pets.It’s overdue for the Obama administration to follow suit on a national scale. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had a proposal under consideration to ban the trade of nine exotic snake species that the U.S. Geological Survey identified as posing a significant risk to the environment. More....

Source: Huffingtonpost.comBy David FleshlerA reptile industry trade group has gone to court to overturn a federal ban on the import of four species of large snake, including the Burmese pythons that have infested the Everglades. The United States Association of Reptile Keepers, which represents dealers, importers, breeders and hobbyists, filed suit in federal court Thursday to overturn a 2012 ban on the import and interstate trade in Burmese pythons, northern and southern African pythons and yellow anacondas. The group said the federal ban rested on shaky scientific evidence, including a highly exaggerated projection of the snakes' potential geographic range in the United States, and inadequate economic analysis that understated the potential harm to the reptile industry. "This is a powerful day for the Reptile Nation, as we fight to protect your rights to pursue your passion and defend your businesses against unwarranted and unnecessary government intrusion," stated an email Friday to members of the reptile group. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service banned the import and interstate trade in the snakes on Jan. 17, 2012, with then Interior Secretary Ken Salazar traveling to Everglades National Park to make the announcement. Biologists at the park have called the python a major threat to native wildlife, with the huge snakes consuming rabbits, birds, raccoons, alligators and full-grown deer. East of the park, African rock pythons are suspected of establishing a breeding population along Tamiami Trail. Tom MacKenzie, spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said the ban was necessary to protect native wildlife."Banning the import and interstate movement of these large, non-native snakes will help prevent spread of these snakes into wild populations beyond those already established," he said. The Humane Society of the United States called the lawsuit an attempt to protect profits from the sale of dangerous animals that have killed 15 people in the United States."This is the very industry that peddles high-maintenance dangerous predators to unqualified people at flea markets, swap meets, and over the Internet," said Debbie Leahy, captive wildlife specialist for the Humane Society. "Banning just a handful of dangerous species has little impact on businesses, since there are literally hundreds of less risky snake and reptile species available to pet purchasers." More....

Source: Annamiticus.comConservation organizations fighting to save one of the world’s most threatened tortoises from poachers have resorted to a drastic measure: Engraving identification codes onto the animals’ shells to reduce their black market value. Four organisations — Wildlife Reserves Singapore, TRAFFIC, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and Turtle Conservancy — joined forces to hold a “Tattoo the Tortoise” event on 16th December at Singapore Zoo to raise awareness of the plight of the Ploughshare and to build support to fight trafficking in the species. The event included presentations by experts working on the conservation of these tortoises and an exhibition open to the public. These activities provide an opportunity for the public, governments and other relevant bodies to learn about the dire situation these animals face, and what they can do to save the Ploughshare Tortoises.Although fully protected, Ploughshare Tortoises are prized for their beautiful high domed shells, but are being pushed closer to the brink of extinction due to high demand as unique and exotic pets. Engraving a tortoise’s shell makes it less desirable to traffickers and easier for enforcement agencies to trace. Found only in north-western Madagascar, the tortoise is Critically Endangered and only an estimated 400 adults remain in the wild. Numbers have been devastated through illegal collection and export to meet the international demand for the pet trade, especially in South-East Asia, where they are sold in markets particularly in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Ploughshare Tortoises are named for the plough-like extension, which is used for fighting, on the plastron (lower portion of the shell).Based on seizures reported in the media, at least 86 Ploughshare Tortoises have been seized since 2010. Over 60% of these seizures occurred in Thailand while remaining seizures took place in Madagascar and Malaysia; with at least one of the shipments destined for Indonesia. In March, two smugglers were arrested with 52 Ploughshare Tortoises in suitcases while attempting to enter Thailand, where traders redistribute the animals to dealers locally and abroad. This was the largest ever seizure of Ploughshare Tortoises in South-East Asia. One of the smugglers, a Malagasy woman, was jailed, while the other, a Thai man, was released on bail. This case exemplifies the audacity of smugglers, the urgency of the situation and the need for enforcement agencies to take the illegal trade in this species seriously. More....

Source: News.mongabay.comBy Marni LaFleurThe ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta), perhaps the most well-known of Madagascar’s endemic animals, is facing a "very high" risk of extinction in the wild. The Madagascar Section of the IUCN Primate Specialist Group reassessed the Red List status of ring-tailed lemurs and upgraded the species from Near-Threatened (2008) to Endangered (2012). Ring-tailed lemurs are facing extinction in some parts of Madagascar because of continued habitat loss, and more recently, species exploitation.

Habitat clearance and degradation are widespread throughout Madagascar. In the eastern rainforests, precious hardwoods (e.g. rosewood, ebony) are illegally extracted for their commercial value. However, in southern Madagascar, where ring-tailed lemurs persist, forest products are by-and-large used for local subsistence (i.e. charcoal, construction) and livestock forage. Forest regeneration time is long in these areas, given the arid conditions, which makes it difficult for animals to re-colonize extremely disturbed lands. Jacky Youssuff, a Professor at the University of Toliara, and his students have been documenting the effects of deforestation on ring-tailed lemurs and note both population declines and an increase in disease prevalence in lemurs in disturbed areas.

In addition to habitat loss, ring-tailed lemurs are also facing a burgeoning pet trade. Wild-caught infants and juveniles are targeted and sold to hoteliers or tourists. Animals may net up to 5,000 Ariary or about the equivalent of $2 US. Though ring-tailed lemurs are a protected species, wildlife laws have been difficult to enforce, given the remoteness of villages, little local knowledge of protection, and in some areas, a complete lack of law enforcement personal. Pet lemurs often become aggressive as they mature, and owners are pressured to confine or sell the animals.

However, Malagasy officials have recently been confiscating pet lemurs and handing the animals over to the Association Reniala to Mangily, a private reserve near Toliara and the first center of its kind in southern Madagascar.

"This is clearly a real issue," says Michelle Sauther from the University of Colorado Boulder, who has studied ring-tailed lemurs for over 25 years, "confiscating illegally held lemurs is the right thing to do and Reniala is to be commended for trying to help, but this problem will not go away." More....

Source: Gulfnews.comBy Anjana SankarThe UAE’s wild pet owners are seeking the services of a dog trainer from Kerala, India, to tame their aggressive pets. Christo Babu, 32, known as Chris Wolf, has been tasked with the job of taming wild pets after he domesticated a hostile cheetah in Bahrain earlier this year. “I am flying to Dubai next month to train a leopard,” said Wolf, founder of Wolf N Pack Dog Training and K9 Security Services. His organisation, which has branches in Kerala and Mumbai, specialises in dog training and also offers dogs for security, patrol and drug detection. A resident of Irinjalakuda in Trichur district of Kerala, Wolf is a graduate in business management and has undergone dog training in Germany. He said he has been flooded with calls since the Bahrain assignment. “Most calls are from the UAE and other Gulf countries, for handling cheetahs, tigers and leopards. I am not trained for them. I had handled dogs before this so it was quite an experience to share a room with a cheetah.” Wolf was flown to Bahrain by a royal family member who had rehabilitated a four-year-old cheetah from Ethiopia. “It was my first encounter with an adult cheetah. She was locked up in a room, and seven trainers who came before me had failed to even go near her,” recalled Wolf. “For the first few days, all what I did was unlock the door to the cheetah’s room, peep my head and then lock the door. I did this hundreds of times. I wanted to kill the cheetah’s instinct to attack a human being at first sight. Somehow the plan worked. “Gradually the cheetah got familiar with my face and I started spending more time with her, armed with nothing more than a tin can. Every time she would rush at me, I would beat the tin can on the floor. The clatter scared her and she kept away from me. The first step was to teach the animal to share space with me. “Next up was building trust. I would keep some meat lumps in a tray and stand next to it. Initially, the cheetah would grab them and run away. So I started tying the meat lumps on the tray handles so that she would be forced to have her food in front of me.” The trick, Wolf says, was to act neither as the prey nor the predator. “You should not display any flight or fight syndrome because animals will immediately sense if you are in fear or in combative mood. I remained listless, and did not even make eye contact with the cheetah when it was standing next to me,” said Wolf. More....

Source: Asiancorrespondent.comBy Graham Land In less than 25 years, the principal home of Sumatran orangutans has dwindled to one sixth of its former size. Meanwhile the orangutan population has fallen by 90%. The culprit is big palm oil. Despite legislation, public outcry and incalculable biodiversity loss, deforestation on Sumatra continues. Because keeping tabs on destructive palm plantations is such a tricky and risky business, environmental campaigners have started using drones in Sumatra’s Tripa swamp forest. These drones are used to find out where forest is being cleared and burned as well as to track tagged orangutans. Forests with peat measuring over three meters deep are not meant to be cleared due to peat’s carbon trapping function. But this is wild west-style capitalism we’re talking about, and the palm oil industry has the Indonesian government in its pocket, so forget about any real enforcement of environmental laws, whether they concern orangutans, Sumatran tigers or climate change.And if you think a few ethical palm or palm-free products are going to make a difference, you’re far a far more optimistic person than I am. This is capitalism we’re talking about – it’s about making the most amount of money in the shortest amount of time and by any means. Ethics play little, if any, role. From the Observer: "The battle to save the orangutans is not helped by the readiness of multinational corporations to use palm oil from unverified sources. Hundreds of products on UK supermarket shelves are made with palm oil or its derivatives sourced from plantations on land that was once home to Sumatran orangutans." Even those companies that have bended to consumer and activist pressure to use palm oil from sustainable sources are having trouble doing so. The industry is so opaque and confusing, it is difficult to know where the palm is coming from or whether the sustainable product has been mixed with some coming from places like the Tripa forest. Another problem is that palm oil is in everything. Supermarkets are stocked with food products and cosmetics loaded with the stuff. It also doesn’t help that it can be referred to by many different names in ingredient lists.The unfortunate orangutans also have to look out for poachers who will sell them as pets or for their meat. More....

Source: Ecowatch.comConservation organizations fighting to save one of the world’s most threatened tortoises from poachers have resorted to a drastic measure—engraving identification codes onto the animals’ shells to reduce their black market value. Although fully protected, Ploughshare Tortoises are prized for their beautiful high domed shells, but are being pushed closer to the brink of extinction due to high demand as unique and exotic pets. Engraving a tortoise’s shell makes it less desirable to traffickers and easier for enforcement agencies to trace.Found only in north-western Madagascar, the tortoise is critically endangered and only an estimated 400 adults remain in the wild. Numbers have been devastated through illegal collection and export to meet the international demand for the pet trade, especially in South-East Asia, where they are sold in markets particularly in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. In March, two smugglers were arrested with 52 Ploughshare Tortoises in suitcases while attempting to enter Thailand, where traders redistribute the animals to dealers locally and abroad. This was the largest ever seizure of Ploughshare Tortoises in South-East Asia. One of the smugglers, a Malagasy woman, was jailed, while the other, a Thai man, was released on bail. This case exemplifies the audacity of smugglers, the urgency of the situation and the need for enforcement agencies to take the illegal trade in this species seriously. Based on seizures reported in the media, at least 86 Ploughshare Tortoises have been seized since 2010. More than 60 percent of these seizures occurred in Thailand while remaining seizures took place in Madagascar and Malaysia; with at least one of the shipments destined for Indonesia.Four organisations--Wildlife Reserves Singapore, TRAFFIC, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and Turtle Conservancy—joined forces to hold a “Tattoo the Tortoise” event today, Dec. 16, at Singapore Zoo to raise awareness of the plight of the Ploughshare and to build support to fight trafficking in the species. More....

Source: News.mongabay.comBy Jeremy HanceThe thin-spined porcupine, also known as the bristle-spined rat, is a truly distinct animal: a sort of cross between New World porcupines and spiny rats with genetic research showing it is slightly closer to the former rather than the latter. But the thin-spined porcupine (Chaetomys subspinosus), found only in Brazil's Atlantic Forest, is imperiled by human activities. In fact, a new study in mongabay.com's open access journal Tropical Conservation Science found that the species remains a target for hunters, despite a reputation for tasting terrible.

Conducting 125 interviews with people living both illegally and legally in two protected areas—Una Wildlife Refuge and the Serra do Conduru State Park—the scientists found that only half of the respondents could accurately identify the species. Those that could generally had a low opinion of the taste of thin-spined porcupine meat. In addition, some taboos have risen about thin-spined porcupine meat. But hunting still poses a grave risk to the species.

"Although its meat is not coveted throughout the study area, the main reason for hunting it is for food," the researchers write. "Another motivation for hunting is for medicinal uses. Some respondents in both areas have cited using the thin-spined porcupine's quills to treat diseases, especially strokes, and to improve the accuracy of hunting dogs."

The thin-spined porcupine shares its habitat with a more common and well-known porcupine, Bahia hairy dwarf porcupine (Sphiggurus insidiosus). Although sometimes confused with each other, the two porcupines are actually quite different. The thin-spined porcupine, whose spines are more like bristles and less likely to cause injury, is so distinct that not only does it belong to its own genus, but also its own subfamily.

In addition to hunting, other activities are likely hurting thin-spined porcupines in the two parks including cutting down secondary forests, wood extraction, burning, and stealing wild animals—several respondents said that young thin-spined porcupines made good pets.

In order to protect the thin-spined porcupine, which is considered Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List, the researchers say conservation program should focus on the people in the area, many of whom are poor. More....

By Debra BrunoOn a recent weekend at the bird market near Fuchengmen on Beijing’s west side, dozens of older men sit in the sun surrounded by bird cages. One is jammed with a dozen small wild Common Redpoll birds—which sell for as little as 10 yuan ($1.65) for two—scrambling over one another, pushing against the bars of the cage. Another holds a large, brown-striped Mongolian lark singing a piercing song for 150 yuan.Terry Townshend, a Beijing-based birdwatcher and birding blogger, sighs at the sight of so many captive wild birds. “I can’t believe they’ll survive very long” in captivity, he says. Despite laws prohibiting the sale of wild songbirds without a license, it’s a common practice in Beijing and elsewhere in China. And what was once a quaint custom is today a practice that is cutting into a dwindling population. As the country develops, birds are losing their habitat. For migratory birds, that means fewer areas to rest on their long tracks from Siberia to as far away as Australia and New Zealand, says Per Alstrom, a visiting ornithology professor at Beijing’s Chinese Academy of Sciences. “They really depend on staging places along the coast,” he says. “There’s no way they would survive if they didn’t have that, and so if the coast is too developed, a lot of species could become extinct.” The International Union for the Conservation of Nature estimates that in China, more than half of the tidal sand and mud flats along the migratory flyway have been lost to development and invasive plants that destroy the wetlands. Trapping birds to sell as pets and for food also contributes to the decline, Mr. Alstrom says. Many of the birds found in the market are species commonly found in Beijing in the winter, but rarer birds show up from time to time, says Mr. Townshend. Li Xiaomei, an illustrator who has been quietly tallying species at Beijing’s bird markets since 1998, says he has spotted rare species such as the blue slaty and the Eurasian sparrow hawk at the markets. Although there are regulations prohibiting the practice, police simply have too many other things to worry about, says Simba Chan, senior conservation officer for BirdLife International, a conservation organization. “Wildlife protection is not high in priority.” Keeping caged birds—and taking them for a “walk” in local parks—is a tradition as old as Beijing’s courtyard homes.“It’s an ingrained part of Chinese culture,” like flying kites, eating candied haw berries or burning incense, says M.A. Aldrich, author of a guide to Beijing and its old customs. More....

Source: YourHoustonnews.comBy Kelly GoochCatherine the rhesus macaque monkey was not in the best shape when she came to the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch. The 18-year-old was more than 40 pounds. Her previous owner allowed her to eat a poor diet and a lot of human food, which led to obesity, said Ben Callison, director of the sanctuary. But through some love and attention, he said she was able to lose weight. Now, Catherine is among the many animals that enjoy the sanctuary’s tranquil surroundings. Animals there include horses, bison, chimpanzees, ostriches, pigs, sheep, monkeys and iguanas. Noelle Almrud, director of animal care at Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch, said most of the animals there have had terrible lives, but the sanctuary is able to offer respect and quiet. Callison said the sanctuary’s mission is not to be an entertainment venue but rather a facility for education. “We want to make sure these animals can tell their story,” he told the Tyler Morning Telegraph (http://bit.ly/1bBaivT). The Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch was founded in 1979 and started with burros from the Grand Canyon that were going to be exterminated, Callison said. Horses, primates, exotic animals and farm animals followed. Nim Chimpsky, a famous chimpanzee who knew sign language, even lived there for years, according to the sanctuary website. Today, the sanctuary, which is an affiliate of the Humane Society of the United States, has 1,310 acres with more than 1,000 animals. Callison said hundreds of equine are on the property, and once the animals are at the sanctuary, they are there for life. “He wanted to create a place where animals could come and live out their life and never have to worry about anything again,” Callison said of Amory. More....

Source: Courant.comBy Scott MaloneLike many a first-time parrot keeper, Marc Johnson had little idea what was in store when he got a bird to keep him company while he worked in his pottery studio.

Back in 1989, the young artist scraped together $600 and bought a blue-and-yellow macaw. The bright plumage soon attracted the attention of passersby, who started bringing other birds for Johnson to take in.

A quarter of a century later, Johnson has given up pottery and runs Foster Parrots, one of the largest wild-bird rescue facilities in the United States. This summer he completed renovations, transforming a chicken farm into a 20,000-square-foot (1,858-square-meter) sanctuary.Filled with nearly 500 screaming, squawking cockatoos, macaws, parrots and a variety of smaller birds such as parakeets, cockatiels and love birds, Foster Parrots is thriving. It fields 900 to 1,000 calls a year from bird owners no longer able or willing to keep their pets. A longevity factor comes into play.

"There's a certain unwanted factor built into parrots. They are going to live to be 50-, 60-, 70-years-old," Johnson said in an interview at his facility in Hope Valley, Rhode Island, 30 miles southwest of Providence. "Parrots are not a domesticated animal, they are a wild animal."

Parrots are known for their bright plumage and intelligence, but they can also be demanding. Without company and stimulation at home, the birds can take to biting people, destroying furniture or pulling out their own feathers.

After dogs and cats, birds are the third-most-popular pet in the United States, but statistics on how many are kept vary widely. A 2012 survey by the American Veterinary Medical Association put the figure at 8.3 million birds of all kinds - smaller songbirds and larger exotics - while a 2013 study by the American Pet Products Association, a trade group, put the figure at 20.6 million.

Johnson's facility, with six full time staffers and 30 volunteers, is one of a handful of large-scale bird rescue centers in the United States. Others include The Oasis Sanctuary outside Tucson, Arizona, and Phoenix Landing in Asheville, North Carolina. More....

Source: SiouxCityjournal.comBy Molly MontagJack, a Shetland pony, trotted into Sioux City Animal Adoption & Rescue Center last month under sad circumstances. The pony's owner had died. He needed a new home. The sturdy little critter with the lush forelock and long, flowing tail may have seemed out of place in the dog run, but Jack was only the latest in a never-ending stream of nontraditional pets to arrive at the center on Hawkeye Drive. Officials say that's why animal control officers receive special training on exotic animals: They need to know how to handle whatever walks, hops, slithers or hoofs its way through the doors. Over the years, they've handled mountain lions, lizards, snakes, horses, bears, pot-bellied pigs, a goat and a tiger. "You never know what you're going to get, or if it is of a tame nature or a wild nature," said Cindy Rarrat, whose Hannah Inc. agency provides animal control services for the city. Earlier this year, officers removed a baby American alligator and a snake from a home in Sioux City's Greenville neighborhood. Animal control officers learned of the alligator, which is not legal in Sioux City, when owners posted photos of the 10-inch-long reptile swimming with children in a bathtub. Though it was shorter than a grade-school ruler when animal control officers found it, mature American alligators can reach 10 feet in length. Officers get training in exotic-animal handling from the National Animal Control Association. More experienced officers also mentor their younger peers. Though the training isn't required for the state's animal-control officers, Rarrat believes it's important education. "They need to know how to handle a multitude of animals," she said.Part of proper training is to understand the special health needs of exotic animals. Lizards, snakes and turtles have different nutritional and habitat needs than a puppy or kitten. Knowing that makes it easier to care for animals at the shelter and to spot signs of poor health or neglect, said Animal Control Officer Kenna Anderson. Often, Anderson and other animal control officers must care for malnourished or abandoned exotic pets. For instance, one local resident found a terminally ill ball python in the backyard this year. Green iguanas are commonly discarded as they near maturity. More....

Source: Blog.Africageographic.comBotswana’s Minister of Agriculture, Christian de Graaff, is under fire after he exported a large shipment of lions to a canned hunting outfit in South Africa last month.De Graaff sent 22 lions to the Makhulu Game Farm near Boshof in the Free State. Employees at the facility, owned by Henk Vorster, openly discuss how the lions are hunted and their skeletons sold to Asian buyers. Some are bred for sale to international zoos. At the game farm, a popular local tourist venue about 80km from Kimberley, 18 young lions were crammed together in a small quarantine enclosure of about 30m by 30m this week. With no shade and only a tiny corrugated iron-roofed hut to protect them, they were panting furiously in the blazing heat.There are also full-maned males and white lions being held in other enclosures.The excrement is cleaned only every two weeks, according to staff, and the stench from this and the carcasses of the donkeys fed to the lions is overwhelming. Many of the young lions are hand-reared and respond to calls from staff members, who said that until recently, there were 3 00 of the big cats on the farm. Now there are only about 2 00, including the 22 exported by De Graaff.When a lion is sold to a trophy hunter, it is moved into a larger camp across the road and “re-wilded” for at least three months, staff said. Some are sent to other hunting farms, most often near Tosca in North West province.After the trophy head is taken from the body, the bones are removed and the rest of the carcass is buried, they said. According to figures released by the environmental affairs department last year, the skeletons can fetch up to R80 000 and often end up being ground into potions for fake “tiger wine” or “tiger cakes”. Vorster, who has a spares shop in Hartswater and several other farms in addition to Makhulu, refused to speak to the media about the lions this week. “I am breeding with them, but it is a private business and has nothing to do with you,” he said. According to Werner Böing, the Environmental Management Inspector at the Free State Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Vorster is an “approved predator breeder in our province and his facility is up to standard”. Permits have been issued to move the 22 lions from Botswana to the Free State, he said. De Graaff’s involvement in the breeding and hunting of lions was exposed by Botswana’s Mmegi newspaper in September. An investigation revealed that in 2005, the Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks captured and donated two “problem” Kalahari lions, a male and a female, to De Graaff’s company, Phologolo Botswana Safaris. The lions were kept at his Tautona Lodge in Ghanzi and had multiplied to 32 by the time he sent his shipment to the Free State in November. According to Mmegi, a dispute has arisen between De Graaff and Botswana’s Minister of Wildlife and Tourism, Tshekedi Khama, over whether the lions belong to him or the Botswana government, which has banned trophy hunting. More....

Source: Journeywonders.comBy Raphael Alexander ZorenOne of the most precious memories of my childhood is the one of my parents taking me to the Chapultepec Zoo of Mexico City. Being born and raised in Acapulco, it was sure a rare opportunity to behold such magnificent animals such as elephants, rhinoceros, lions, penguins, polar bears and of course, the cuddly pandas. As I grew up, however, this annual visit to the Chapultepec Zoo became more and more depressing. It was truly saddening to see the relatively small spaces in which these large animals were kept and the monotony of their daily lives. “Come on, they look happy, here they don’t have predators and they don’t have to worry about obtaining food” my mother wisely told me when I was nine and started to raise doubts about the conditions and the way animals were treated in the zoo. I politely agreed and yet, the inner (and foolish) me just wanted to release these animals into the wild and let them enjoy their lives. Then, the best (or probably worse) thing happened. They finally freed Willy.The sad ballad of Keiko the Orca Who is Willy? You may ask. Willy is the star of a 1993 movie, “Free Willy” about an orca and a boy. Long story short: The little manages to free the orca into the wild after befriending it. What most people didn’t know was that “Willy” wasn’t a CGI or an actor in a convincing orca suit, it was an actual orca named Keiko (“Lucky One” in Japanese, oh, the irony), that at the time, was based at the “Reino Aventura” Theme Park in Mexico City. Granted, the enclosure was extremely small for an orca of its size so it is completely understandable that after the movie came out, many people protested for the orca to be relocated since it was logical that Keiko needed more space. The “Free Willy-Keiko Foundation” however, wanted to release Keiko into the wild, inspired by the little foolish boy in that stupid kid’s movie. At this point, you’re probably guessing how this story is going to end, don’t you? Keiko was captured at the age of three, meaning that, he had spent more than 20 years living inside of aquariums and was completely unable to adapt to living in the open ocean. The foundation however, managed to release him and, under their care, Keiko finally died in 2003 of pneumonia. To me, the story of Keiko was a cautionary tale about going against nature. But wait, isn’t it already unnatural for animals to be born and raised in captivity? Yes and no. Let me explain.Pros and Cons of Zoos For me, the make-it or break-it point when it comes to Animal Rights and ethics is simple: Was the animal born in captivity or was it captured? More....

Source: Gulfnews.comBy Faisal MasudiA crocodile rescued by Gulf News last month and handed over to Dubai Zoo is in good health.Gulf News bought 'Larry' from a dealer to expose the trafficking in exotic wildlife for sale as pets in the UAE. Also offered to undercover reporters were lion, tiger and cheetah cubs, slow lorises and orangutans. Their prices ranged between Dh40,000 and Dh175,000. For Dh1,000, Larry was delivered in a small plastic box. The hatchling, estimated to be around three months old, is being cared for by Dubai Zoo staff. Larry has gained over 50gm, tipping the scales now at around 150gm. It has also grown longer by a few centimetres, stretching more than 38cm from snout to tail. Larry, whose gender has not yet been determined, is being housed in a zoo aquarium and being hand-fed small fish. It is fed three small fish every second day, with plans to increase feeding to two fish a day by mid-December. Dubai-based wildlife specialist Dr Reza Khan, who is also a zoo management specialist at Dubai Municipality, said that “Larry’s doing fine. He’s getting accustomed to us. He’s comfortable and seems to have a good appetite. That’s a good sign.” Dr Khan’s team is looking after Larry. The hatchling spends a lot of time basking under a lamp, Dr Khan said. It rests on bricks in a corner of the tank. “Crocodiles like idle time… Larry comes towards the fish when we put it on the bricks. There are small fish in the tank, but Larry’s too young to hunt them.” Dr Khan warned against keeping wildlife such as crocodiles at home, saying “they belong in the wild”. “It’s extremely dangerous to have a Nile crocodile in your home because they are quite dangerous. A fully grown one can easily harm and kill a child or even a man,” he said. More....

Source: Southendstandard.co.ukBy Ian Weinfass A MAN is due to appear in court on Friday over 11 alleged counts of attempting to illegally sell a number of stuffed and preserved endangered animals. It follows a police search of a house in Westborough Road, Westcliff, in May in which a number of the grim items were found. The householder was then interviewed by police after he was suspected of committing offences relating to the purchase, sale, offer for sale or commercial use of endangered species. Following a number of enquiries, the 26-year-old, has now been summonsed to appear at Southend Magistrates Court on Friday to face 11 charges. These relate to the offer of sale of a taxidermy tawny owl, a barn owl, selling a taxidermy tawny owl; the purchase of a sawfish rostrum; the use for commercial gain of an elephant foetus, a tiger’s head, two full-mount leopards, a number of sawfish rostrums and three sea-turtle skulls, all without permits from the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency. Photos.

Source: Wildlifeextra.comRoyal Thai Customs have seized a bag containing 62 highly threatened Radiated Tortoises Astrochelys radiata and arrested a Malagasy national at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport. The bag was not picked up from the luggage carousel raising the suspicion of Customs officials who then scanned the bag to check its contents. The tortoises were discovered hidden in the foam-lined suitcase.Officials managed to locate the suspect, a Malagasy national, who had flown from Antananarivo to Bangkok. He is under arrest and is being investigated under several sections of Thailand's Wild Animals Preservation and Protection Act 1992, Customs Act and the Animal Epidemics Act. The Radiated Tortoise, like all of Madagascar's native tortoise species, is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) meaning no international commercial trade is permitted. All are also protected under national laws in Madagascar.The seized tortoises are now in the care of Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.

Source: Dailymail.co.ukBy Nick EnochA man is facing jail for causing unnecessary suffering to a marmoset - after he was caught taking it to the pub.

Richard Walton, 32, kept three-year-old Milo in a faeces-covered birdcage where he had little daylight and no toys to play with.

Walton, from Basingstoke, Hampshire, had already been banned from owning animals for two years for neglecting a dog which had claws so overgrown it couldn’t walk.

When he started taking Milo to his local pub on a lead, concerned drinkers informed the RSPCA.

The common marmoset was so badly malnourished and deprived of sunlight that he weighed the same as an orange when he was rescued, and was developing the bone condition rickets.

Instead of feeding him a varied diet of fresh and dried fruit, vegetables, seeds and vitamin-enriched baby food, Walton gave Milo only cherries and grapes.

Walton pleaded guilty to two charges of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court and will be sentenced in January.

In their natural home in the Brazilian rainforest, marmosets are highly social creatures who mate for life and live in tight-knit family communities.But Milo lived in isolation in his cage apart from when he was taken to the Portsmouth Arms in Basingstoke, where Walton would pose with his pet on his shoulder.

The RSPCA was alerted after receiving a tip-off that heavily tattooed Walton had taken him to the pub on at least two occasions. More....

Source: Bizcommunity.comIn response to a documentary called 'Meet the Sloths', an eight part series based on The Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica, the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) has warned that sloths are not suitable to be kept as a domestic pets. Furthermore, these animals are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which is an international agreement that aims to protect wild animals and plants."Although the programme is centred around a sanctuary and means well, we have received many enquiries relating to the keeping of these animals as house pets and we are concerned that this will only increase with the continued broadcasting of this programme," says Ainsley Hay, manager of the Wildlife Protection Unit of the NSPCA. "Keeping a sloth as a pet is extremely cruel and unethical. These amazing and endangered animals are wild animals with very specific needs and do not belong in captivity."

Stimulating pet trade

The NSPCA may have cause for alarm, since other programmes in the past which highlighted the appeal of wild animals have proven to stimulate the wildlife pet trade and this is not only a concern in South Africa, but also internationally. Habitat destruction and the trade in wildlife are the greatest threats facing wild animals and the animal welfare organisation is concerned that sloths will become part of the exotic pet trade.

Sloths are not a domesticated species and do not take comfort from being near humans. They have very specific needs that are difficult to meet in captivity, and a large amount of expertise, time, and money is needed to keep them confined.Educational tool

"While we do not believe that it is the intention of Animal Planet to promote the pet trade, we also remind the viewers and members of the public that the onus to protect these animals is just as much on their shoulders. Use documentaries such as 'Meet the Sloths' as an educational tool and don't buy into the idea that wild animals can be kept as pets or traded as a commodity," says Hay.

The NSPCA has appealed to the producers of Animal Planet via email to make a statement with each programme aired reminding the public that these animals are CITES protected and do not make suitable pets.